Wild time guaranteed in Elfin Forest reserve

Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve

Trail head: Look for the reserve sign on the east side of Harmony Grove Road, in the community of Elfin Forest.

Length: A 13-mile network of trails of varying lengths.

Difficulty: Easy to moderately strenuous. Trails have rocky outcroppings. The main Way Up Trail ascends 1,200 feet and is fairly steep.

Hours: 8 a.m. to half hour before sunset.

Fee: Free.

TAKE A HIKE

There's nothing like sitting by a flowing creek in the shade of oak trees after a hot dusty hike on a rocky trail.

Escondido Creek offers just such a respite in the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve.

The reserve is off Harmony Grove Road in the community of Elfin Forest, a few miles southwest of Escondido. Driving there, you quickly leave behind urban life, pass an egg ranch and reach a wooded area where oak trees stretch over the road forming graceful arches.

Mule deer, bobcats, great blue heron and the least Bell's vireo all live within the reserve. The 750-acre property was previously owned by the Bureau of Land Management, but is now property of the San Diego County Water Authority and managed by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District. Olivenhain Dam is at the top of the main Way Up Trail.

The view is a big draw. The reserve is part of Mount Israel, and one trail overlook is at 1,346 feet. On a clear day, hikers can see the Pacific Ocean, the San Bernardino Mountains, Mount Laguna and San Diego.

Bicycling, horse riding and dogs on leashes are welcome. Dogs can be off-leash in some areas.

Scat found along the 13-mile trail network bears witness to the variety of animals living there. It's fun to try to identify the creatures that produced it. Part of the adventure, after all, is the possibility of meeting something wild, face to face.

What eats berries? The hollyleaf cherry shrubs growing along the Botanical Trail near the creek would be at deer height. The rustling of unknown creatures in the bushes adds to the experience. Mountain lions have been spotted in areas beyond the reserve's perimeter but not in the reserve, a staff member said.

It would take several visits to become familiar with the reserve's variety of mini-ecosystems, a reason to return.

The Botanical Trail offers colorful flowering bushes and berry trees and a rocky creek crossing at its end, so hikers should expect to get their shoes wet. Rangers advise against crossing the creek when it's full in winter.

Another trail along the creek features riparian forest for hikers who aren't up for a steep climb.

Portable toilets, printed maps and walking sticks are available at the trail head. Hikers are expected to put the sticks back at the end of their visit.

A 1,000-square-foot interpretative center, under construction next to the parking area, is scheduled for completion in spring. Designed by artist James Hubbell and his architect son, Drew, the building is sure to be interesting.

It is round, and will have a domed roof covered in plants. The ceiling will feature murals of the seasons, and the floor will be covered in a tile mosaic depicting the Escondido Creek watershed.

For information about the watershed and the interpretive center, go to the Escondido Creek Conservancy's Web site, at escondidocreek.org.

To learn more about this hiking destination, go to the water district's Web site, olivenhain.com/elfin_content.
php?content=parks. The district has a photo contest that runs through October. Information is posted on the bulletin board near the parking lot.